When vehicles are all moving at the same speed, traffic can feel like it is flowing safely and efficiently, even in dangerous weather conditions. But as soon as that traffic flow is compromised in any way, it can become apparent just how detrimental those weather conditions are. They may even lead to a pileup accident.
In northern states, this often happens when there’s ice and snow on the road. Wind blowing that snow can reduce visibility and slick roads can cause car after car to slide into the pileup. But in Florida, where it snows less often, one of the biggest threats is fog. In fact, fog created an 11-car pileup earlier this year.
Could rain have the same impact?
Rain could certainly affect traffic in a similar way. This is especially true for those who are driving in heavy rain at night. They can lose track of how close other vehicles are around them, and it may be difficult to see exactly what’s coming up. Lights from other cars may cause significant glare on the windshield, and a driver may not realize that they’re about to rear-end another vehicle until it’s too late.
Slick roads also play a role
As noted above, slick pavement can also make these accidents more likely. Drivers may feel like they have enough space to stop safely, but they quickly learn that they don’t when they press on the brakes and the car doesn’t respond as expected.
You don’t have to have a major winter storm in order to have roads that are in this condition. If it simply rains, that already makes the road slicker than it should be. If the temperature drops, and any of that rain freezes into a smooth sheet of black ice, it gets especially dangerous. But don’t assume that the roads are safe simply because the temperature in Florida tends to stay above freezing.
If you get injured in an accident that was caused by another driver, perhaps, because they didn’t drive appropriately in weather conditions, you may be able to seek compensation.